Chapter 47: Forty-Seven: Governor Ouyang, Who Loves His People as His Own Children

Forty-Seven: Governor Ouyang, Who Loves His People as His Own Children

Today, the government office runners of Longcheng County moved with unusual speed.

Under the swift leadership of Captain Yan, before noon even passed, they had sealed off all major grain storage warehouses near Penglang Ferry.

None of the grain merchants—Wang Cao, Master Ma, Master Li, and others—would believe it was done without prior reconnaissance and rehearsal.

Luming Street, Longcheng County government office.

Inside the newly repaired county hall, it was bustling with activity.

Eighteen grain merchants, including Wang Cao, Master Ma, and Master Li, along with thirteen local gentry led by Liu Ziwen, all sat below the dais.

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

Behind the magistrate’s desk, Ouyang Rong, clad in a green-and-blue official robe with silver belt, radiated righteous authority as he scolded Yan Wuxu, who had returned to report: “Bang! Bang!” he slammed his fist on the desk.

“Our county granaries could never have embezzled grain from the Ji Min granary! This concerns a major imperial case—don’t you dare speak lightly, you mere constable! Be cautious! Don’t falsely arrest honest merchants!”

Yan Liulang grimaced and bowed.

“But, my lord, our county’s ferry warehouses alone hold two hundred and thirty thousand shi of grain—nearly matching the shortfall in Ji Min granary. It’s hard not to suspect.”

“Investigating isn’t random guessing! Speculation isn’t wild conjecture!”

Faced with such a stubborn subordinate, the young magistrate grew furious, pounding the desk again; below, Wang Cao and others flinched as the inkstand on the table trembled. Ouyang Rong, brimming with righteousness, pointed at the assembly and asked:

“Could it not be, as I reasonably suppose, that these friends simply came to Longcheng to watch the dragon boat races—and brought grain along as a favor?”

Yan Liulang looked baffled: “Watch dragon boat races? Why bring so much grain?”

The young magistrate stared at Yan, opened his mouth, then closed it, murmuring: “Huh… you’re right…”

He turned, eyes curious, and humbly asked Wang Cao and the others:

“Friends, why bring so much grain just to watch the races? Could it be… you’re packing zongzi to throw into the river? Even Qu Yuan plus all the fish couldn’t eat this much.”

“… ” The entire hall of grain merchants fell silent.

Sensing all eyes turn toward him, Wang Cao licked his dry lips and forced himself to speak:

“We came to sell… sell grain.”

Ouyang Rong nodded loudly: “Hear that? They’re here to sell grain! What’s wrong with saying it openly? It’s business!”

He turned to the disgruntled Captain Yan and pleaded earnestly:

“These are honest merchants doing legitimate business—what fault is there? Perhaps the rice in today’s salty zongzi you ate was brought by Brother Cao and the others. They only want to bring grain so everyone can eat well—is that wrong?”

“Besides, which law of the Great Zhou forbids merchants from trading freely? As long as they pay their taxes legally, it’s fine.”

“By the way.”

Ouyang Rong asked: “Did you pay taxes on the grain you sold in the East Market?”

“Paid! Paid! Not a single coin missed!” Wang Cao, Master Ma, and others answered in unison.

The young magistrate, exhausted from defending the purity of good merchants, nodded in satisfaction and slammed the desk to conclude:

“Enough. Dismissed. These are honest merchants engaged in legal trade—don’t let their reputations be smeared without cause. In Longcheng County, commerce is free, governance is clean, and we are no lawless land. We won’t seize property on a whim.”

Ouyang Rong shook his head and sighed:

“Captain Yan, go home and reflect deeply. You must change this habit of seizing homes! Can’t you stop thinking of overturning tables? We’re the county government office, not a bandit den—we serve the people and honest merchants.”

Behind the hall, Liu Ziwen and the other twelve local gentry sat in silence, their lips twitching at these words.

Yan Liulang bowed his head meekly: “Yes, my lord.”

Ouyang Rong turned, switching back to his warm, paternal magistrate persona, and spoke gently to the merchants and gentry:

“Dismissed. You may all go. Sell your grain freely—any legal trade within my jurisdiction is protected by the government office. If any market inspector or petty official harasses or extorts you, come straight to me—I’ll deal with those little devils.”

The hall fell utterly silent. Everyone, openly or covertly, studied the young magistrate’s face—but no one dared to leave.

Behind the hall, a certain junior sister stood with her hands behind her back, leaning against the door, eavesdropping on the good-cop-bad-cop act.

She pressed a slender hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Yet the beauty didn’t realize: her slender neck, narrow shoulders, and delicate arms were like a thin branch bearing heavy fruit—and her laughter made the fruit nearly fall.

Fortunately, the benevolent magistrate was busy loving his people, and didn’t see—otherwise, his accumulated merit for new blessings might have plummeted.

The front hall fell quiet again.

Finally, Liu Ziwen rose first, took his leave, and only then did the other twelve gentry rise from their seats, bowing respectfully to Ouyang Rong before departing.

Their faces showed visible relief—they must have expected to leave the government office stripped of skin, yet nothing happened. The magistrate didn’t twist facts or seize grain; instead, he let them keep selling.

Many gentry greatly revised their opinion of Ouyang Rong.

Liu Ziwen was the first to step out of the government office. Before entering his carriage, he turned only to Liu Zian, who approached with curiosity, and said one sentence:

“Don’t bother watching—inside are all sheep.”

Inside the slowly departing carriage on Luming Street, the young master of the Liu family wore a gloomy expression.

This “grain price trap” wasn’t set by Ouyang Lianghan. This time, Ouyang Lianghan had lured in fat sheep from outside—and he’d eaten them with elegant manners.

The Liu family seemed to have suffered no loss from the scheme—but upon closer thought, they’d lost much.

For Liu Ziwen, who had dominated Longcheng County for years, this was the first time he’d felt a situation slipping subtly from his control.

Imagine Longcheng County as a table: the Liu family had sat as dealer for years, able to shake the table at will. But suddenly, an empty seat across the table was taken by a young scholar with a smug smile—he sat down without permission, then placed a hand on the table, holding it steady, forbidding any shaking.

Liu Ziwen, who had waited twelve years for a sword to strike, hated this feeling.

…

“Uh, let me be clear—the government office doesn’t provide lunch. I have to go home to eat.”

In the half-empty county hall, Ouyang Rong sighed to the eighteen grain merchants who stood frozen in place:

“Why aren’t you leaving? Go back and sell your grain.”

The merchants exchanged glances, none moving—like docile sheep.

“Oh, so you have something to say?”

Ouyang Rong immediately stepped down, gesturing with an open palm:

“Alright, guests from afar—please, sit, sit.”

Wang Cao, hearing this familiar phrase, twitched his right eyelid violently.

Under the young magistrate’s insistence, the merchants took seats one by one. Ouyang Rong, ever approachable, didn’t sit on the high dais—he sat on a chair opposite them, smiling warmly.

Perhaps after long observation, they found him genuinely kind—this time, Master Li dared to speak:

“Your Excellency… can we transport our grain to sell elsewhere, beyond Longcheng County?”

The previously warm and welcoming Ouyang Rong suddenly grew stern:

“Sell grain elsewhere? Is it because our Longcheng people aren’t warm enough? Or our county government office isn’t fair enough?”

“No, no!” Master Li laughed nervously, waving his hands: “Your people are very warm, your officials are very fair—”

Ouyang Rong sighed thoughtfully: “Oh, so I, as Longcheng’s magistrate, have been neglectful? Should I kneel and kowtow right here?”

“No, no, not at all!” the old merchant with a goatee grew frantic, refusing to sit: “I haven’t seen a magistrate as upright and kind as you in years!”

“Then why do you want to move your grain? Let me be clear—I’m not forbidding it. I just want to understand why, so I can improve my governance.”

Ouyang Rong sighed. Master Li and the others hesitated.

Behind the door, Xie Ling, who had barely held back her laughter, burst out “pfft” again, burying her head in her chest.

Since entering the academy, she hadn’t laughed this joyfully in a long time… mostly because her senior brother was too mischievous.

Now Xie Ling realized: when men act improperly, they’re surprisingly amusing… in short, when her senior brother acts improperly, he’s even more proper than when he’s proper.

But this time, her laughter escaped before she could cover her mouth—a faint tinkling sound drifted to the front hall, startling her into pulling her neck back.

In the hall, the young magistrate’s lips twitched. Next time, no junior sister behind the door.

Wang Cao, Master Ma, and Master Li turned, puzzled.

“Ahem, nothing—just a little cat I raised. Probably hungry… speak quickly, I’m about to eat. The cat’s already starving.”

Ouyang Rong nodded solemnly.

“… ” The merchants.

“… ” Xie Ling.

Please.

Forty-Seven: Governor Ouyang, Who Loves His People as His Own Children. No one questioned the origin of this ability, for the Peacock Demon Clan’s innate talent is precisely the ability to redirect the stars. Her technique shares a similar essence with Star Shift.

After countering Cao Yuwei’s attack, the Lady Mei did not press forward, but stood still.

Cao Yuwei frowned. Was this girl’s perception so sharp? After igniting his flame armor, he had other techniques ready—if she attacked, he could easily subdue her. But since she didn’t advance, his poised ability had to be aborted.

His battle blade slashed again, its blade intent stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, merging man and weapon, charging straight at the Lady Mei.

The Lady Mei wielded her Tianji Ling once more, executing Heaven’s Mysterious Circle, then instantly teleported to a new position—dodging the attack and breaking its lock. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A flash of gold-and-red light vanished from Cao Yuwei’s body—if she hadn’t dodged so swiftly, another ability would have struck.

Endurance battle! She seems determined to outlast Cao Yuwei.

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No one questioned the origin of this ability, for the Peacock Demon Clan’s innate talent is precisely the ability to redirect the stars. Her technique shares a similar essence with Star Shift.

After countering Cao Yuwei’s attack, the Lady Mei did not press forward, but stood still.

Cao Yuwei frowned. Was this girl’s perception so sharp? After igniting his flame armor, he had other techniques ready—if she attacked, he could easily subdue her. But since she didn’t advance, his poised ability had to be aborted.

His battle blade slashed again, its blade intent stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, merging man and weapon, charging straight at the Lady Mei.

The Lady Mei wielded her Tianji Ling once more, executing Heaven’s Mysterious Circle, then instantly teleported to a new position—dodging the attack and breaking its lock. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A flash of gold-and-red light vanished from Cao Yuwei’s body—if she hadn’t dodged so swiftly, another ability would have struck.

Endurance battle! She seems determined to outlast Cao Yuwei.

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